MotoGP San Marino GP 2020 Winners And Losers

Andrea Dovizioso leads the 2020 MotoGP World Championship thanks to a seventh place finish in the San Marino Grand Prix today. No one could have ever predicted such a development after six rounds of a 14-round season. It was predicted that a Yamaha rider would win the San Marino GP, but no one expected it to be Franco Morbidelli. 

Winners

Franco Morbidelli: A graduate of the VR46 Academy, Morbidelli did a fantastic job of taking the lead of the race and staying well clear of the rider after whom the academy is named. Valentino Rossi never really looked close to challenging Morbidelli for the win as MotoGP’s latest new winner flew off into the distance. It was a poignant win for Morbidelli too, who had made some strong statements earlier in the weekend on equality and social justice. 

Francesco Bagnaia: What can you say about a rider who finishes second while still needing a crutch to walk around? ‘Pecco’ Bagnaia was the highest placed Ducati rider on a day when it looked unlikely that the Italian manufacturer would get anywhere near the podium. Bagnaia is another VR46 Academy graduate and he flew past his mentor before his broken leg slowed him down. He was lucky that Rossi himself came under pressure from the factory Suzuki riders and was unable to focus on re-passing him. Nonetheless, a hat tip is in order for the rider who was denied a podium finish in the second round of the season due to a mechanical failure. 

Suzuki: Both Alex Rins and Joan Mir had tremendous race pace in the San Marino GP. Unfortunately, both riders started too low on the starting grid to be a factor for victory. Nonetheless, both riders took turns in harassing Rossi for the final podium spot until Joan Mir stole it from the former seven-time world champion. With the KTM riders struggling at the twisty Misano circuit, Suzuki is just five points behind the Austrian manufacturer in the constructors’ championship. 

Andrea Dovizioso: The Italian may have been the MotoGP championship runner-up in the last three seasons, but it was not a position anyone expected him to be at in 2020. This year was supposed to be Marc Marquez vs Quartararo. However, as events have transpired, it is Dovizioso versus Quartararo and ‘Desmo Dovi’ the championship leader! The outgoing Ducati rider’s seventh place today was good enough to make him the championship leader by six points from Quartararo.

Losers

Fabio Quartararo: The San Marino GP was supposed to be an opportunity for Quartararo to get back to the form he was in for the opening two races of the season. Only 20 points in the three races following the second round left him within striking distance of Dovizioso. Two falls in the race, however, means that Quartararo -- who almost won this race last year -- is now six points behind the new championship leader. He could still turn it around by getting pole and a win next week, however, there really is no guarantee of him performing to his usual standards anymore. 

Maverick Vinales - One would imagine that Vinales would give anything for him to swap his performances on a Saturday with those on raceday Sundays. The factory Yamaha rider consistently looks like a challenger for pole position but more often than not struggles at the start of a race. And to make matters worse, his race pace is nowhere near that of the frontrunners. His two second-place finishes in the opening two rounds of the season seem to be a distant memory now. 

Repsol Honda - The 2020 season has been a miserable one for the factory Honda team. They lost Marc Marquez to injury and his younger brother Alex has appeared out of his depth. Marquez’s replacement Stefan Bradl has not finished higher than 17th place since he came in to replace the Spaniard. The team had just 15 points to their name prior to the San Marino GP and they remain stuck on that total as neither rider was able to score a point.